The Life of Reba McEntire Blackstock

Part 22

Narvel's P.O.V.

I ran through the maze of the hospital, hoping to get so lost that I wouldn't be able to find my way out. I took every turn I came to. Right, left, right left, left, left, right, right, right, left, left. Someone as terrible as me deserved to be locked up in a prison and left to die alone. I feel as if I've run far enough that no one could find me if they even tried. What am I thinking, no one is going to try to find me. I jiggle all the door knobs that weren't hospital rooms until I find a utility closet that was unlocked. I look around to see if anyone sees me going into this room. I see no one, but my vision is terribly blurred due to the large tears forming in my eyes. I open the door and step into the room. As I am closing the door, I hear someone shout something that sounded like Narvel, but I ignored it. I keep the lights off and stumble through the small room until I feel a hard surface that I can sit on. I sit down, head in my hands, and the waterworks start flowing. The tears run off my face and onto the floor. I just keep thinking to myself how terrible of a man I am. Why did Reba stay with me all these years? 26 years married and 35 years knowing each other and she didn't dump me? If I has her, I would've dumped me then left me out with the wolves to be eaten alive. Speak of the devil. I hear a jiggling of the doorknob and lights flood into my dark privacy. I see a silhouette, but I refuse to move. They can get what they need around me. A woman's voice fills the room and I recognize it in an instant. She says, "Narvel Wayne, what has gotten into you?" How did she find me? I ran for so long. I question her, still not moving from my spot, "How did you find me?" She scoffed, "It wasn't that hard, you're literally 200 feet from my hospital room." Damn it. Leave it up to me to be stupid enough to run in a big square. Another reason I'm a terrible husband. I'm no smarter than a dog who chases his tail all day. More tears fill in my eyes and Reba's voice fills the room again, "Baby, look at me." I remove my head from my hands and try to wipe my tears away before she sees them. I'm not quick enough though, because she whispers, "Oh, babe. What's wrong?" We sit in the silence for a while, until I realize that she's not going to leave until I tell her what's going on. I finally decide to tell her. I just mumble it out to get it over with, "I'm the worst husband ever. Just divorce me already." She gasps and I see tears forming in her eyes. She replies with a crack in her voice, "What makes you say that?" I take a large breath and answer as calmly as I can. "You told the nurse that you were having an anxiety attack. I couldn't even figure that out. I should've been able to see that you weren't ok." She lets the tears fall down her face and says, "Narv. You and Shelby are the best things that have ever happened to me. The biggest payout of my career is not the fame and fortune. It is you. I don't know any better way to convince you that you are so very amazing than through song, but you're out of luck. I don't want to sing because then this moment turns into my moment, and it's not. So I hope this works just as well." She takes a step forward and sits on my legs, facing me. I don't register what she's doing until she wraps her arms around my neck and passionately attaches her lips to mine. I put my hands on her hips and just let her lead the way. Before I know it, she's begging for entrance and I grant my permission. Her tongue runs along the inside of my mouth sending chills everywhere in my body. All too soon she pulls away but places her forehead against mine. She whispers, "You are the best husband ever. You are the best manager ever. You are the best father ever. You are my world. I love you." Reba gives the best pep talks. And I'm not just saying that because of the kiss she just gave me. I slip my arm under her legs and stand, leaving her in a basket made up of my arms. I kick open the door and carry her back to hospital room labeled Blackstock.

Reba's P.O.V.

The nurse left my room with strong indication that I was going to be released soon. I was super excited to get out of this place. Narvel appeared in the doorway with an expression on his face I couldn't quite identify. He looked at me that way for another moment, then bolted down the hallway. What has gotten into him? I have to go after him! I start unhooking myself from all of the machines only to realize that I had an IV stuck through my arm. Shit, this is gonna hurt. I yanked it out then yelped out in pain. I didn't even have time to put on a pair of shoes, I just ran out into the hallway hoping for Narvel not to have gone far. He was nowhere in sight. It was no use going after him if I was just going to be ushered back to my room by concerned nurses. I gloomily stepped back into my room and sat down on the edge of my bed. From far down the hallway I could hear quick footsteps and someone out of breath. I rushed to the doorway and just caught a quick glimpse of Narvel opening a room further up the hall. I called out, "Narvel," hoping that he would come back if I did. He never did turn around. He just disappeared behind the door. I walked down the hall wondering what was up with him. He never acted this way. I reached the door and unsteadily turned the doorknob. As I pulled the door open, I noticed that the room was pitch black. I had almost convinced myself that this was the wrong door until I heard a small sniffle. I said into the darkness, "Narvel Wayne, what has gotten into you?" He doesn't answer right away, but soon asks, "How did you find me?" I scoff, not meaning to sound harsh and answer, "It wasn't that hard, you're literally 200 feet from my hospital room. Baby, look at me." I have now gotten used to the dark and moved in the closet with Narvel. He removes his head from his hands and I see tear marks from where they rolled down his face. He tries to wipe them away before I see them, but he was too slow. It broke my heart to see him cry. "Oh, babe. What's wrong?" I whisper to him. He sits silent for a while. I'm not going to leave this room until we work this out. If Narvel has a problem, it's my problem also and vice versa. Finally he mumbles, "I'm the worst husband ever. Just divorce me already." I gasp without meaning to. He just said that he was the worst husband ever. Why would he say that? I was literally thinking 5 minutes ago about how lucky I was to have him. The tears form in my eyes and I ask him, "What makes you say that?" I hear a large, deep breath being taken then his voice pipes up, "You told the nurse that you were having an anxiety attack. I couldn't even figure that out. I should've been able to see that you weren't ok." At this point my tears fall down my face. What can I tell him to make him feel better? After all this is my fault. "Narv. You and Shelby are the best things that have ever happened to me. The biggest payout of my career is not the fame and fortune. It is you. I don't know any better way to convince you that you are so very amazing than through song, but you're out of luck. I don't want to sing because then this moment turns into my moment, and it's not. So I hope this works just as well." I have been holding this back since I saw him crying. I just desperately hopes this works. I step in front of him then lower myself onto his lap, facing him. My lips crash onto his and I wrap my arms around his neck. Before long, he was as into it as I was and had placed his hands on my hips. I dragged my tongue along his rough lower lip and he quickly obliged, allowing my tongue to roam freely throughout his mouth. I knew that if this went any further we wouldn't only be kissing in this closet, so I pulled away. I could tell he was feeling a little better, but not 100% yet. I also knew that after moments like that I could tell him anything and he'd believe me because he was still high on passion. I rested my forehead on his and looked him deep in the eyes. I whisper confidently, "You are the best husband ever. You are the best manager ever. You are the best father ever. You are my world. I love you." Suddenly he perks up. His eyes don't droop anymore, his cheeks have color, and his back is straighter. Before I know what is happening Narvel shifts my weight around so that he can stand and lift me bridal style. He kicks the door open and carries me down the hallway. I could tell that all of the nurses were snickering behind our backs, but who could blame them? We did just come out of utility closet red faced and breathing heavy! Anyways, we made our way to my room and as we stumbled in, I heard a multitude of voices, all very familiar. One in particular yelled out, "Mom are you okay?!?"